Seeding-machine



(Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. 4

s. 0. MENDENHALL.

SEEDING MACHINE.

No. 247,572. Patented Sept 27,1881.

Wiinesses.

(Model) 2 Sheets8hee t 2 s. 0. MENDENHALL.

SEEDING MACHINE.

@ I N.o. 247,572. Patented Sept. 27,1881.

' i'nesses Ina/ ania?" UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN C. MENDENHALL, OF RICHMOND, ASSIGNOR TO THE RICHMOND CASTER COMPANY, OF WAYNE COUNTY, INDIANA.

SEEDINGLMACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,572, dated September 27, 1881.

Application filed August 4, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN O. MENDEN- HALL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seedin g-Machines and other Agricultural Implements; and I do hereby declare the following to beafull,clear,

' and exact description of theinvention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in seeding-machines and other agricultural implements, and more particularly to the class of machines in which the front of the frame and tongue are supported on a caster-wheel, so as to obviate the weight and downward pressure of the machine and tongue upon the necks of the team, and to also more thoroughly steady the machine in passing over undulated ground.

2 My invention has for its object to render said machines more perfect in their operation and obviate defects incident in their construction, while accomplishing the objects desired to be obtained in such machines; and to this end the invention consists in novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically designated in the claims. 7

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of my improved machine; Fig. 2, a side elevation, partly in section; Fig. 3, a top view or plan; Fig. 4, a side elevation ofthe caster; Fig. 5, a vertical section through the upper caster-plate and upper portion of caster-saddle Fig. 6, a front elevation of caster.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the severalfigures.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the'machine; B B, the usual carrying or supporting wheels; C, the tongue, and E the caster which supports the front of the frame.

D represents the caster-saddle for supporting the wheel E, which is journaled to or in (ModeL) the lower ends of the downwardly-projectiug arms F thereof, said saddle being also provided with the usual stem, X, which passes through the upper caster-plate, J, and sheath J, in which said stem is secured by a setscrew, 1?, passing through said sheath and engaging the annular groove Yin said stem. The sheath J is formed or cast integral with the plate J, and has projecting side flanges, J,' with bolt-openings through them, by which said plate and sheath are adapted to be secured to the front side of the front cross-beam of the frame A.

Through the upper portion, Z, of the caster-saddle passes an elbow or bent shaft, W, having mounted on the horizontal projecting end thereof an anti-friction wheel, H, and on the vertical projecting end thereof, which forms the stem X, is mounted the sheath J of the caster-plate J, as above described. The shaft W is composed of wrought-iron, and the saddle cast around it, thereby combining strength and economy in construction. The anti-friction wheel H runs near the outer edge,

on the under side of the caster-plate J, and supports the weight above and removes the friction from the caster-stem, and allows the caster free play in all directions.

G and G represent two scrapers, which pass respectively in rear and front of the saddle, and which are secured to the sides thereof, all as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6. These scrapers are adapted to engage with the periphery of the wheel E the rear scraper, G, for clearing off the mud and dirt from the wheel-E, and thereby prevent clogging of the anti-friction wheel when said wheel E is mov: ing forward. The front scraper, G, is also found necessary, for if, when going straight forward, the machine is suddenly stopped to 0 back the horses in a true line, the wheel E may turn over once or twice before it whirls around,

and in that case mud or dirt might be carried up to the anti-friction wheel from the other side, and which said scraper G will obviate.

A A A represent three longitudinal braces, arranged between the cross-beams of the frame A, and through the braces A A and said cross beams pass the bolt-rods R R, that secure the upper caster-plate and sheath, J J, to the front cross-beam, thus making the frame A rigid and strong to sustain the strain caused by the attachment to the same of the caster.

The upper caster-plate, J, is provided upon its upper side with bosses N N, upon which the ends of the brace K are mounted, and between which and said caster-plate J is secured the double-tree L by the pin M. These bosses N N serve also as stops for limiting the backward or vibrating movement of the doubletree, and thus dispensing with the usual staychains employed for that purpose.

T represents a flanged support, secured to the upper "side of the front cross-beam of the frame by means of the bolts W, which pass up through the caster-plate J, thus forming additional means for securing said plate to the frame, the front cross-beam, and the flanges of the support. The rear end of the tongue passes through and is pivoted in said support, with its rear end projecting into a metallic guide, S, having side flanges, s s, and said guide is secured to the frame by the braces A A and rods RR, passing through said side flanges, the braces, and the cross-beams of the frame, all as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

By the above-described arrangement of parts the tongue is allowed almost an unlimited mo tion at the front end, as it will not answer to have the tongue remain stifi'against downward movement, (for if a person were to sit down on it or ahorse should stumble and fall on the tongue it would be almost sure to break something.) The metallic guide S is therefore extended in an upward direction sufficiently to permit the tongue to occupy the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2.

When deemed necessary, a bifurcated brace, I, secured to the arms F F of the caster-saddle, is used for strengthening or supporting the outer end of the shaft W, upon which the anti-friction wheel H is mounted, the projecting end of said shaft resting in the upper end of said brace I, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

By the above-described construction and arrangement of parts the frame is made rigid and strong to sustain the strain caused by the attachment thereto of the caster, the weight and downward pressure of the front of the machine and tongue removed from the necks of the team, and the machine firmly supported and steadied when in operation and on all kinds of undulated and uneven ground.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the frame A, of the caster-plate J, connected thereto, and provided with the bossesNN and the brace K, connected to said bosses, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with the frame A, of the caster-p1ate J, connected thereto, and provided with the bosses NN, and the double-tree L, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with the frame A, ofthe caster-plate J, provided with the bosses N N, the brace K, and the double-tree L, connected thereto by pin M, substantially in the manner as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

4. The combination, with the caster-wheel E, connected centrally to the front of the machine, of the scrapers G G, arranged in rear and front of the caster-saddle, substantially as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

5. The combination, with the caster-wheel E, connected centrally to the front of the machine, and anti-friction wheel H, of the scrapers G G, arranged in rear and front of the caster-saddle, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

6. The caster-saddle D, provided with the wrought-iron elbow or bent shaft WV, in combination with the anti-friction wheel H, mounted on the horizontal projecting end thereof, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

7. The elbow or bent shaft W, connected to the caster-saddle D, substantially as shown, and having a horizontal projecting end, upon which is mounted the wheelH, and a vertically-projecting end forming the caster-stem, in combination with the caster-plate J and sheath J, substantially as and for the purpose specifled.

8. The caster-plate J and sheath J, having side flanges, J, formed or cast integral with each other, in combination with saddle 1), provided with wheel E, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

9. The caster-plate J and sheath J, having side flanges, J, formed or cast integral with each other, in combination with saddle D, provided with caster-wheel E and anti-friction wheel H, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

10. The caster-plate J, provided with the bosses N N, and sheath J, having side flanges, J, formed or cast integral with each other, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

11. The combination, with the supportingframe of a seeding-machine or other agricultural implement, of the caster-plate J, provided with the sheath J, having. side flanges, J, and the double-tree L, connected thereto, and the caster saddle and wheel, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

12. The combination, with the supportingframe of a seeding-machine or other agricultural implement, of the caster-plate J, provided with the sheath J, having side flanges, J, the double-tree L, connected to said plate, and the caster-saddle provided with wheel E and antifriction wheel H, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

13. The combination, with the frame A, of the braces A A and the bolt-rods R R, pass IIO ing through said braces and cross-beams of the frame, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

14. The combination, with the cross-beams of the frame A, of the intermediate braces, A A, caster-sh eath J, provided with side flanges, J, and the bolt-rods R B, passing through said side flanges, the braces, and cross-beams of the frame, substantially in the manner herein shown and described.

15. The combination, with the cross-beams of the frame A, of the caster-plate J, provided with sheath J, having side flanges, J, and the horizontal and vertical bolt-rods B W, for rigidly connecting said parts together, substantially in the manner herein shown and described.

16. The combination, with the cross-beams of the frame A, of the tongue-guide S, having side flanges, s s, the braces A A, and rods R R, for rigidlyconnecting said parts together,

substantially in the manner herein shown and described. I

17. The combination, with the frame A, of

having side flanges, J, and the bolt-rods R R, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

18. The tongue-guide T and caster-plate J, connected to the upper and lower sides of the cross-beam of the frame by bolt-rods W W, substantially in the manner herein shown and described. T

19. The combination,with the saddle D and the caster-plate J, provided with the sheath J, 2 5

the journal for the anti-friction wheel H, of 5 the brace I, connected to said saddle and end of said journal, for giving it additional support or strength, substantially as herein shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 40 Witnesses:

J OHN HOWARTH, WILLIAM E. BELL. 

